Railroad-switch



J. P. JORDAN.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR-2M I919- Patented Nov. 18,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m i INVENTOR Jaznes P. z/ordan J. P. JORDAN.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, m9.

1 ,322,308. Patefited Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s I W iiiiiHHll-HH llll/E/VTOR Jevnespzjordan v A TTORIVEY uNrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. JORDAN, OF BIG OAK FLAT, CALIFORNIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Application filed April 24, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMEs P. JORDAN,

. a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Big Oak Flat, in the county of Tuolumne, State4 of California, have 111- vented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad switches, the principal object of the invention being to eliminate the guard rails at the frog and to arrange the wing rails of the frog so that they are movable and one at a time may contact with the point of the frog when the switch joints are thrown by the usual switch rods and simultaneously therewith.

Thus when the switch points are thrown to clear the main line, the corresponding wing rail at the frog will move to contact with the point of the frog to give a smooth bearing surface for the wheels at this point, while at the same time the other or siding wing rail will move away from the other side of the frog-point to permit of the free passage of the wheel flanges therebetween.

When the switch points are thrown for the wheels to cross over, to the other track or take a siding, the reverse movement of the wing rails takes place simultaneously with the movement of the switch points, so that a smooth bearing surface for the wheels is always maintained at the point of the frog and the wheels can never leave the track.

This feature eliminates the need of the usual guard rails, which with the present form of construction are necessary to guide the wheel flanges through the spaces between the wing rails and the point of the frog.

Also, on account of the necessary spacing of the wing rails from the point of the frog, the wheels pound on the point, which wears down and causes severe arring and vibration, both to the vehicle and to the frog.

With my improved construction these objectionable features are eliminated completely.

Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 292,298.

such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure l is a plan view of a switch partly broken out to shorten the same, showing my improved attachment at the frog.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, enlarged, of a wing rail hinge attached to the rail.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the hinge.

Fig. 4 is a detached View of a rack and pinion for operating the wing rails.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the same with the rack in section showing the parts in position in their bearing-housing.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a rocker arm attachment.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main line rails and 2 the switch rails. The switch points 3 at the junction of the rails 1 and 2 are movable in the usual manner by means of a connecting bar secured to the same and extending thereunder transversely of the same.

At the frog 5, where one pair of the rails 1 and 2 converge, are wing rails 6 and 7 respectively, being secured to the main rail ends by means of vertical hinge members 8 bolted thereto, as at 9. These hinges are set on opposite sides of the converging rails, the hinge points being a suitable distance from the edges of the rails. Each of these wing rails have a portion 10 thereof adapted to form a straight line extension from their respective main rails. They then turn at an angle, as at 11, which adapts the wing rails to lie adjacent the opposite sides of the point 12. These wing rails rest on a plate 13 laid on the ties 13 and on which the entire frog 5 also lies.

Only one of the wing rails is adapted to lie adjacent the point 12 at a time, the rails being held a suitable distance apart by means of a connecting rod 14: suitably secured thereto and projecting under the plate 13.

Pivoted to the bar 14 is an arm 15 having a boss 16 011 the other end beyond the outer main line rail 1, in which boss a pin 17 is turnably mounted and projects through a slot 18 provided in a fiat rocker arm 19 secured to a shaft 20 at one end thereof, and depending downwardly therefrom between the ties 13 The pin 1? is adjustable in the slot 18 and is held in any desired position by means of a nut 21 on the pin 17 on the opposite side of the arm 19 from the arm 15 which nut has a knurled washer 2E2 thereunder adapted to engage transverse notches cut in the surtlace of the arm 19.

The shaft 20' passes through suitably spaced bearing boxes 2% secured to the ties 123 to a point adjacent the switch point bar 4. At this end, the shaft 20 has a pinion 25 secured thereon, adapted to mesh with. a rack 26 slid-ably mounted in a housing 27 secured to the hearing box 25 which is adjacent the end of the shaft 20.

This rack has a downwardly extending portion 28 on the end nearest the rail 1, such portion extending below the lower edge of the rail and being secured to the bar 4 at that point.

Between the converging points at the frog of the rails 1 and :2 is positioned a reinforcing wedge 29 being secured to the rails by the bolts 9 which hold the hinges 8 to the rails. Thus a very firm andrigid joint is had, the rails 1 and 2 being riveted to the plate 13 at this point.

In the operation of the device, referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the switch points are set to clear the main line. In this position, the portion 10 of the wing rail 6 at the frog is in a straight line with the main rail 1, while the angled portion 11 of the wing rail lies adjacent the point 12 of the frog. \V-hen so positioned, the other wing rail 7 is clear of the point, thus allowing a free passage of the wheel flanges between the same and the point.

When theswitch is thrown to open the switch, the bar -lmoves the rack 26, which turns the pinion on the shaft 20. This causes the arm it) to rock, shoving the arm 15 and bar 14, which reverses the relative positions of the wing rails 6 and 7.

Thus, from the foregoing description, it

will readily be seen that l have produced such a devce as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A railroad s itch comprising in combination with switch points and a means for throwing the same, wing rails hinged at the frog of the switch, each one at a time being adapted to lie adjacent the opposite faces of the point of the frog, a bar connecting and spacing the wing rails, an arm pivoted to the bar and to the lower end of a rocker arm, a shaft secured to the rocker arm and extending to a point adjacent the line of the switch-point bar, and means operable by the bar for turning the shaft to reverse the relative positions of the wing rails.

2. A railroad switch comprising in combination with switch points and a means for throwing the same, wing rails hinged at the frog of the switch, each one at a time being adapted to lie adjacent the opposite faces of the point of the frog, a bar connecting and spacing the wing rails, an arm pivoted to the bar and to the lower end of a rocker arm, a shaft secured to the rocker arm and extending to a point adjacent the line of the switch-point bar, and means operable by the bar for turning the shaft to reverse the relative positions of the wing rails, such means including a pinion on the shaft, and a rack meshing with the pinion and con nected to the switch point bar.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. JORDAN.

WVitnesses GEORGE E. lVATsoN, Jos. C. DE FERRARI. 

